Red Wings send Canadiens to 4th straight loss in rout
Detroit's Perron notches 2 goals, 1 assist in win
With dreams of clinching a playoff spot all but over, the Detroit Red Wings leaned on the positives to end their season.
The team suffered a crushing 6-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets last Friday, but bounced back with two high-scoring wins to cap off a three-game Canadian road trip.
"It's been about us playing the right way," said Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde of the recent stretch of games. "Getting a little rhythm with our forward lines, getting a little rhythm with our [defensive] pair, getting great goaltending.
"I just like how clean the game was from start to finish. We played a really good game so it's very encouraging."
David Perron scored two goals and added an assist. Lucas Raymond, Matt Luff and Joe Veleno also scored for Detroit (35-33-9). Jordan Oesterle and Olli Matta collected two assists.
WATCH | Perron leads the way for Red Wings:
Back from missing the last seven games with a lower-body injury, Ville Husso recorded a 24-save shutout.
"I got a good start right away, and even in practice I felt good," Husso said. "I was always a little nervous before the game, it's been two weeks that you played but I felt good overall."
In his second start for Montreal (30-42-6) this season, Cayden Primeau made 16 saves.
Habs coach Martin St. Louis said that his team "shot itself in the foot" by conceding two first-period goals and it was all downhill from there.
"We were ready, we had good intentions, I liked our start but then all of sudden it's 2-0," said St. Louis. "After that you're playing catch-up. Our execution wasn't perfect but we had good intentions."
Raymond shocked Primeau with a wrist shot from point-blank range to open the scoring for Detroit 4:55 into the opening frame.
"You don't you don't see me get those breakaways too often either," said Perron. "Once I felt the space in behind, I couldn't miss. I needed to score that one just for the feeling of scoring in this building."
Detroit added a power-play goal late in the second when Veleno redirected Jake Walman's shot from the point to score his first goal against his hometown team.
Maatta located Perron with a centring pass in the slot, who tapped in his second of the night at 7:26 of the final frame.
